The United Autoworkers (UAW) union announced on Sunday, March 2, they have agreed to a new labor pact with Caterpillar Inc. after UAW members ratified the terms of a new, six-year collective agreement. A tentative pact was settled ahead of the expiration of a prior contract on March 1, according to both parties. The UAW […]
SSAB Americas has announced plans to increase plate prices by at least $80 per ton ($4 per cwt), the third of its kind in as many months. The notice follows in short order from Nucor’s $50-per-ton increase announced today. The price hike applies equally to rolled, normalized, quenched-and-tempered, and wide cut-to-length plate products. It is […]
Nucor Corp. aims to increase base prices for steel plate by at least $50 per ton ($2.50 per cwt) with the opening of its May order book. The plate increase is the first of its kind for the steelmaker since March 31, 2021, according to SMU’s steel mill price increase calendar. Nucor had repeatedly maintained […]
US plate prices have steadily increased over the past two weeks, largely in response to repeated mill price hikes. The most recent increase came from Cleveland-Cliffs when the steelmaker aimed to increase base prices for steel plate by at least $60 per ton ($3 per cwt). It was Cliffs’ first official plate price notice in […]
The price advantage domestic cold-rolled coil (CRC) had recently enjoyed over imported steel was short-lived, as US mills continue to drive prices higher, according to Steel Market Update’s latest foreign vs. domestic price analysis of the CRC market. Repeated mill price hikes through February and into March has seen the US CRC price advantage over foreign […]
February license data indicate that steel imports will have totaled 2.19 million net tons last month, down 16.2% from January. February levels are also down 13.8% when compared to the previous 12-month average. Recall that monthly import levels declined nearly 17% month on month (MoM) in November, before rebounding in December and January. February figures […]
The price advantage domestic hot-rolled coil (HRC) had enjoyed over offshore hot band has evaporated as US mills drive prices higher, according to Steel Market Update’s latest foreign vs. domestic price analysis. Nucor and ArcelorMittal last week announced a target price $1,150 per ton ($57.50 per cwt) for HRC. Market contacts have told SMU that some […]
Editor’s note: Steel Market Update is pleased to share this Premium content with Executive members. For information on how to upgrade to a Premium-level subscription, contact Lindsey Fox at lindsey@steelmarketupdate.com. Monthly Key Market Indicators (KMI) improved over the past month, advancing repeatedly since hitting a recent low last November, according to the latest analysis by […]
Aggressive mill price increases are pushing flat-rolled tags up at a sharp clip, rivaling the spike seen in response to the war in Ukraine last March. On Friday, Nucor came out with yet another notice – up an extra $150 per ton ($7.50 per cwt) and setting a new base price for hot band of […]
The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) rose 1.9%% in February to 203 from the revised January reading of 199.3, according to data and analytics from the Dodge Construction Network (DCN). Additionally, the commercial component of the DMI also advanced 1.4% and the institutional component increased 2.9%, respectively, last month. The Dodge Momentum Index returned to growth […]
The latest SMU Market Survey results are now available on our website to all Premium members. After logging in at steelmarketupdate.com, visit the Analysis tab and look under the “Survey Results” section for “Latest Survey Results.” Historical survey results are also available in the Survey Results section under “Survey Results History.” If you need help […]
SMU’s Steel Demand Index indicates that the pace of growth has slowed down when it comes to apparent demand for flat-rolled steel in the US. The index is still above 50, which indicates improving demand. But it is down 6.4 points, following a similar weakening seen in the prior reading in mid-February. The back-to-back declines […]
Domestic hot-rolled coil (HRC) continues to lose its price advantage over imported steel. The reason: US prices continued to move higher following a wave of domestic mill price hikes that began after Thanksgiving and reached a fever pitch in February with near weekly price increases. US HRC had held a price advantage over foreign hot […]
Last week’s mill price increases continue to make their way into the market. Cliffs’ latest this week – up another $100 per ton ($5 per cwt) and setting a new base price for hot band of $1,100 per ton – has yet to be reflected in today’s pricing. But that hasn’t stopped it from garnering […]
Raw steel production by US mills recovered last week after declining slightly the week prior, according to data released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) on Monday, Feb. 27. The increase pushed capacity utilization up to 74.9%, driven by gains in tons in all regions except for the Northeast. This is up from […]
Cleveland-Cliffs aims to push its hot-rolled coil price up by at least another $100 per ton ($5 per cwt) in its fourth sheet price hike this month. Cliffs made the announcement in a press release on Monday, Feb. 27, just six days after announcing another $100-per-ton increase. Cliffs said its new target base price for hot […]
US plate prices have remained mostly flat this week, a trend we’ve seen since Nucor announced a plate price cut in late November. Recall that in late November, Nucor said it would be lowering plate prices by $140 per ton ($7 per cwt) with the opening of its January order book. Plate tags have varied […]
New, single‐family home sales rebounded slightly in January in response to declining mortgage rates and home prices in December, according to a joint report from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the US Census Bureau. The result was helped by home builders’ use of sales incentives, which boosted new home sales, the […]
Steel Market Update is pleased to share this Premium content with Executive members. For information on upgrading to a Premium-level subscription, email info@steelmarketupdate.com. World crude steel production rebounded month on month (MoM) in January, driven by widespread increases worldwide. Global production was down, though, more than 6% vs. the same period last year, according to World […]
SSAB Americas has announced plans to increase plate prices by at least $60 per ton ($3 per cwt). The price hike applies equally to as-rolled, normalized, quenched-and-tempered, and wide cut-to-length plate products. It is effective immediately on all new, non-contract orders, the company said in a letter to customers on Friday, Feb. 24. SSAB said […]
Existing home sales declined for the 12th month in a row in January, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). All four major regions in the US registered year-over-year (YoY) drops, though sales were mixed month over month (MoM) among the four regions. The South and West regions registered increases MoM, while the East and Midwest […]
Domestic hot-rolled coil (HRC) lost its competitive price advantage over imported steel, ending a 16-week run. The turn came as domestic mills continue to drive prices up at a faster clip than mills overseas, according to Steel Market Update’s latest foreign vs. domestic price analysis. US HRC is approximately 3% more expensive than foreign prices […]
Imported sheet and plate products’ arrival at US ports declined in December, leading their share of the US markets to edge lower, while domestic shipments gained ground during the month. That’s according to a Steel Market Update analysis of import data from the US Commerce Department and domestic shipment figures from the American Iron and […]
Total US mill shipments of steel products declined in December, easing for the second straight month after fluctuating up and down for much of the year. December was the lowest mill shipment total for 2022, falling to the lowest total since February 2021. Shipments totaled 7.27 million tons in December, a 1% decrease from November’s 7.34 […]
North American auto assemblies rose 16.1% in January, recovering for the first time in three months. Last month’s assembly output was among one of the highest in nearly two years and 13.8% higher year on year (YoY), according to LMC Automotive data. On the supply side, inventory levels are expected to gradually improve this year as […]
US light-vehicle (LV) sales slowed to an unadjusted sales figure of 1.03 million units in January, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported. Despite the month-on-month (MoM) decline, January’s total was still 4.2% higher year-on-year (YoY), and the sixth consecutive month to see YoY increases in sales. LV sales were up 17.73% MoM in December on […]
Sheet prices increased this week as another blitz of price hikes – this time $100 per ton ($5/cwt) – spurred the market higher. The latest announcements from the likes of Nucor, Cliffs, US Steel, and ArcelorMittal, all setting a new base price for hot band of $1,000 per ton, are yet to be reflected in […]
Raw steel production by US mills slipped last week following five straight weeks of increases, according to data released by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) on Tuesday, Feb. 21. The decline pushed capacity utilization down to 74%, driven by decreases in tons in all regions except for the South. This is down from […]
Cleveland-Cliffs didn’t take long to join Nucor in increasing spot prices for steel sheet by at least another $100 per ton ($5 per cwt). The Cleveland-based steelmaker, like Nucor, is also targeting a base price of $1,000 per ton for hot-rolled coil (HRC). Cliffs said the increase was effective immediately and applied equally to all […]
Nucor Corp. is pushing its hot-rolled coil price up by at least another $100 per ton ($5 per cwt), its third sheet price hike in a matter of three weeks. The Charlotte, N.C.-based company, the largest steelmaker in the US, said the move was effective immediately for base prices on new orders. Nucor made the […]